Studies on Mechanical Properties of Sugarcane and their Relevance to Cleaning

The mechanical properties of different varieties of sugarcane (CoJ 64, CoJ 84 and Co 1148) were determined in the laboratory and related wth the design and performance of sugarcane cleaner. The variety CoJ 84 had the maximum hardness, bending strength and split tensile strength and Co 1148 the minimum. The bending strength of the top section was the lowest (9.24 N/mm²) for Co1148 which resulted in maximum topping efficiency and cane loss. The force required to detach the sheath of brown leaf was minimum for Co1148 (21N) and maximum for CoJ 84 (28.61N). The force required to break the joint between the sheath and the blade in case of green leaf was maximum (45.56N) for Co1148 and minimum for CoJ 64 (22.63N).